I definitely pause before sending emails (and even making posts). I tend to read, proofread, re-read and then send. I proof my emails because I don't always know who's on the other side and if they are as picky as me. I tend to get cranky when I know the person on the other side is someone who writes for the public (like a PR person or marketing person) and who has horrible typos and grammar. Seeing emails like that makes me lose faith in the school systems here

Heh... at the very least, I'll go outside to have a smoke before I hit the "GO" button. Gives me time to think about whether I need to reword to be more politically correct or maybe even time to ask did I understand the problem correctly. It's especially important if you really want to crush someone's itty-bitty head because they said something in their email that was really stupid. :P

--Jeff Moden"RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for "Row-By-Agonizing-Row".

First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code: Stop thinking about what you want to do to a row... think, instead, of what you want to do to a column."

(play on words) "Just because you CAN do something in T-SQL, doesn't mean you SHOULDN'T."--22 Aug 2013

Certainly the wider the audience or the more controversial the subject, the more care I'll take in composing and checking the email. However, I can't say I delay the sending of potentially inflammatory emails, since I don't tend to use email as the preferred medium for that kind of communication. If I want to get angry with someone, I tend to pick up the phone or wander over and talk face to face.

I've done both. Generally I try to stop posting inflammatory emails until I've tried to understand the intended meaning but sometimes even carefully crafted emails can be misconstrued with the lack of a comma in the right place etc. I still prefer to speak face to face to ensure that what I mean to say comes through and that I understand fully the other parties intent.

I worked for a private bank a few years ago, with a very friendly close knit staff. A colleague sent an email out basically warning of an impending lack of service to the entire bank. One member of staff replied with a one word reply implying that he was born out of wedlock. It would have been funny to both parties and no harm done...but he hit reply to all instead of reply and didn't notice until the replies started flooding in. If this had been other sites I'd worked at there would have been fireworks, but luckily everyone viewed the incident as a joke.

I am VERY careful with any emails I send. As too many stories attest to, an email can end up in some of the strangest places either through carelessness, hitting the Replay All instead of Reply, or even someone forwarding your email to someone else.

Even in writing emails intended to stay internal to the company that may contain criticism of a fellow employee or a customer, I attempt to keep the language professional and courteous.

Also, I am in a position where I have had the need to review the emails of employees who have been let go. Needless to say, there are often emails in the mailbox that could potentially be embarrassing for both the former employee and for senders / recipients who are still current employees.

In short, my philosophy is that EVERY email is “on the record”. If I need to say something that I wouldn’t want published everywhere, then say it in person, but don’t put it in writing.

Having sent a few e-bombs in my time, I try hard to look at what I've written before I hit send if emotion is an attachment. Usually, if I'm completely ripped and writing an email, just writing the email is enough to calm me down. I'll read it once or twice to be sure I've gotten my precise response for the idiot that I was going to send it to. Then I hit delete.

Having been on the receiving end of quite a few "flamers", I wish everyone would take that time-out before hitting send on the emotional or political emails. (One particular correspondent was very pleasant in person, but the emails - wow!) My personal policy is never flame, and if you're responding to an "annoying" email, always read it at least twice, and if it's really touchy have a co-worker review it with you for tone. Because you only hit SEND once, and there is no UNSend! :D

Grant Fritchey (11/30/2007)Having sent a few e-bombs in my time, I try hard to look at what I've written before I hit send if emotion is an attachment. Usually, if I'm completely ripped and writing an email, just writing the email is enough to calm me down. I'll read it once or twice to be sure I've gotten my precise response for the idiot that I was going to send it to. Then I hit delete.

Grant,

You hit what I do right on the head. I can't redo a phone conversation, but I can re-type an email before I send it. This is a major reason why I choose email over the telephone. Write, read, and edit so I can get my point across, hopefully without coming across like a jerk.

The real problem is, I am a jerk. So I have to try to reduce the damage as much as possible. Emails are dangerous because, even a well crafted message can offend (especially when so many people these days seem to lack an epidermis).